Making the transition to civilian life can be difficult for many veterans. The free-for-all of the private sector can be a jarring adjustment, and many former service members have a difficult time knowing where they fit in. One area where many veterans have found success is through entrepreneurship. Indeed, veterans are over forty-five percent more likely to be self-employed than civilians. While the discipline the military life instills is a contributing factor to the disproportionate number of veteran-entrepreneurs, there are also a wealth of resources freely available to veterans, giving them an additional leg-up over civilians. One of the most successful of these is the Boots to Business program, a joint venture between the Small Business Administration and the Transition Assistance Program.

Register for the program. Registering for the Boots to Business program is easy. All you have to do is contact the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) office on your base. They’ll tell you when and where the closest class with open spaces is located—attendance is completely free—and you tell them you want to come.[1]XTrustworthy SourceU.S. Small Business AdministrationU.S. government agency focused on supporting small businessesGo to source

You can find the TAP office on your base by going to http://www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil/ and going to the drop down box that says “looking for a specific program or service.” Find the TAP listing in the drop down box, and enter the name of your base or your zip code to go along with it.

Watch the introductory video. The very first part of the Boots to Business course consists of a short video that outlines the course in its entirety, summarizing the curriculum in the two day course and in the eight week course.[2]XTrustworthy SourceU.S. Small Business AdministrationU.S. government agency focused on supporting small businessesGo to source

Complete an upcoming two-day course. Once you’ve registered for a two day course near you, report to the classroom and take the course. You’ll be covering the basics of entrepreneurship, including the steps to starting a business, the pros and cons, and resources available to veterans.[3]XTrustworthy SourceU.S. Small Business AdministrationU.S. government agency focused on supporting small businessesGo to source

The two day course is designed to cover the basics, so if you have any basic questions, like how to register a business, which type of business forms are best for you, or you need some help deciding what type of business to get into, this is the place to ask them.

Just like you would with any course, make sure you bring along a notebook and a couple pens. It's better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them.

Register for the course. Once you’ve completed the two day course, you’ll have the opportunity to register for the full eight week course. Since this is an online course, you won’t have to worry about finding a place to take it.

Set aside enough time to devote your attention to the course. The Boots to Business program recommends you set aside at least ten hours per week to devote to the course—not counting class time. That works out to two hours per day if you’re working a five-day week, so the commitment is substantial.[4]XTrustworthy SourceU.S. Small Business AdministrationU.S. government agency focused on supporting small businessesGo to source

Decide what you want to get out of owning a business. Since most of the eight week course is focused on making a business plan and other startup concerns, think about what why being a business owner is important to you. Do you want to make a million dollars or have a guaranteed job for the rest of your life? The answer will influence the type of business you start, because small business owners generally need high profit margins to become wealthy.

For example, Coca-Cola can afford a tiny profit margin on each bottle of Coke they sell, because they sell millions of bottles per year. You probably won’t be able to match that economy of scale, so if you want to make as much money as possible, consider a business with a high margin, like a financial or legal services company.

Balance your skills against your interests. Your Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) likely provided you with specialized skills, many of which transfer to civilian life. Do your best to synthesize the skills you have with your business interests. It will help you operate more efficiently from the get-go, which is an important factor in business success.[5]XResearch source

Identify the core skill you learned in your MOS. Even the most militaristic of skills, such as infantry of intelligence work, have application in the civilian world. For instance, infantry NCOs have extensive experience in logistics management.

Create a business plan for the actual business you want to start. The meat of the eight week course entails creating a business plan. Since you’ll be getting guidance from business professors all along the way, it only makes sense to make the business plan for the actual business you’re planning on starting. It will allow you to make the most of the course. [6]XTrustworthy SourceU.S. Small Business AdministrationU.S. government agency focused on supporting small businessesGo to source

Hypotheticals have their place, but in this setting, it would be a waste of time. If you've decided how to apply your skills to a business and what you hope to gain from opening a business, you should be able to come up with a specific business plan your actual start-up.

Milk the opportunity to get feedback. The professors teaching your course are experts in the field of business. As consultants, their services would probably cost hundreds of dollars an hour. You’re getting them for free, so make the most of it. You should make every attempt to make the business plan you present to the loan officers and venture capitalists the most polished and professional business plan they’ve ever seen. [7]XTrustworthy SourceU.S. Small Business AdministrationU.S. government agency focused on supporting small businessesGo to source

You should also treat the course as an opportunity to get feedback on ways to better market and operate your business. Certain strategies work well for certain businesses. For example, in retail, where the margins are low, it pays to aggressively market your business, because profit is strictly tied to volume.

Utilize SBA partnerships to obtain financing and materials. The Boots to Business program is only one of many entrepreneurship programs available to veterans, including loans, grants, mentorship, and material resources.

For example, veteran’s loans are fast tracked under the SBA’s Express loan program. In addition, the up-front loan origination and guaranty fees are substantially reduced.[8]XTrustworthy SourceU.S. Small Business AdministrationU.S. government agency focused on supporting small businessesGo to source

The Leveraging Information and Networks to Access Capital (LINC) is a fabulous resource for securing funding. Complete the online test (in the same format as a personality test) and the results will be used to match you up with potential lenders and grants. Start it at https://www.sba.gov/tools/linc

With that being said, be cautious about debt financing your start-up. There are many variables contributing to business success, and a number of them are unrelated to your efforts (like a stock market crash). It sounds harsh, but your success or failure is irrelevant to the lender. You’ll be obligated to pay no matter what.

Continue your education. The Veteran’s Business Outreach Center provides additional training and financial counseling, while Score.org provides free mentorship training for veterans and new entrepreneurs. Rather than letting the Boots to Business program be the end of your business training, let it be the very beginning. The SBA will provide you with resources that will allow you to succeed far into the future. A search wizard which will tell you all the types of aid for which you are eligible is at https://business.usa.gov/veterans#.

Operation Endure and Grow is the follow up program to the Boots to Business program. Another eight week course, it focuses on continuing business operations rather than starting a business.[9]XResearch source

Veterans are also eligible for aid to guide them through the Federal Contracting process, information that isn’t widely available to the public. Two of the biggest programs are the Government Contracting Classroom and the Federal Contractor Certification Program, which guides veteran owned businesses through the process of obtaining government contracts.[10]XTrustworthy SourceU.S. Small Business AdministrationU.S. government agency focused on supporting small businessesGo to source